Definitions & Terminologies are like the name of a person. These provide a glimpse about the topic. Dealing with the topic, whether in the exam or in clinical practice, without a fair idea of the Definitions & Terminologies would be like talking to a person without knowing his/her name or background. Knowing the Definitions & Terminologies would be like being introduced to the topic before dealing with it as we do before dealing with a person.

The Definitions, Terminologies and Abbreviations in Gynaecology have been included here in an alphabetical order for ease of reference.

A

Adenomyosis

Ectopic presence of endometrial tissue within the myometrium

Adolescence

Adolescere = to grow (Latin)

Adrenogenital syndrome

Ambiguous genitalia due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia

AFC

AID

AIH

AMH

Amenorrhoea (pathological)

Absence of menstruation for 6months, not due to pregnancy, in a woman of child-bearing age

(Amenorrhoea during pregnancy, lactation, before menarche and after menopause is physiological)

(Amenorrhoea during administration of drugs such as depoprovera or GnRH analogues is iatrogenic)

Anterior colporrhaphy

Arias-Stella reaction

Aspermia

Azoospermia

A4

B

Bicornuate uterus

Only the lower parts of the Mullerian ducts fuse and it consists of two uterine horns, single or double cervix and vagina.

Blighted ovum

BMI

BSO

C

CA 125

CC

Complete Hydatidiform Mole (CHM)

CIN

CIN I

CIN II

CINIII

Climacteric

Colposcopy

Colposuspension

Complete miscarriage

Condyloma acuminata

Cystocele

Cystometry

Cystoscopy

D

Deep dyspareunia

Delayed puberty

No pubertal signs by 18 years

Dermoid cyst

DHEA

DHEAS

D21 P

DUH

Dysmenorrheoa

Dyspareunia

E

Ectopic pregnancy (EP)

ELA

Endometrioma (chocolate cyst)

Endometriosis

Enterocele

ERPC

E1

E2

E3

F

FAI

Falloposcopy (tuboscopy)

Fecundity

Fertility

Fibroid (myoma) – uterus

Fothergill’s (Manchester) operation

FSH

G

Genital prolapse

GIFT

GnRH

GnRHa

GTD

H

Hirsutism

Hot flush

HRT

HSG

Hyperprolactinaemia

Serum prolactin concentration greater than 800 miu/l

Hypomenorrhoea

Hysterectomy

Hysteroscopy

I

Iatrogenic DUH

ICSI

IMB

Imperforate vagina

Occurs due to failure in breakdown of the wall between the Mullerian and sinovaginal bulb (frequently misdiagnosed as imperforate hymen that is less common).

Incomplete miscarriage

Inevitable miscarriage

Infertility

Intersex

Invasive mole

IUCD

IUS

IUI

IVF-ET

J

Nil

K

Kallman’s syndrome

Anosmia or hyposmia with delayed pubertal development or primary amenorrhoea due to congenital absence of GnRH.

Klinefelter’s syndrome

L

Laparoscopy

Lap & dye

Lap Steri

LASER

LAVH

LH

M

Macroadenoma (macroprolactinoma)

Prolactinoma measuring more than 1cm in diameter

Menarche (onset of menstruation)

Men = month (Greek)

Arche = origin (Greek)

Menopause

Menorrhagia (Hypermenorrhoea)

Menometrorrhagia

Metrorrhagia

Microadenoma (microprolactinoma)

Prolactinoma measuring less than 1cm in diameter

Miscarriage

Missed (delayed) miscarriage

Mirena IUS

MRKH syndrome

Muller-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome

Absence of the uterus or presence of a rudimentary uterus due to failure of Mullerian duct development.

MTOP

Mullerian duct

Paramesonephric duct (forms the fallopian tubes, uterus and upper 3/4th of vagina in the female)

Oligospermia

Oligozoospermia

Oophorectomy

Overflow incontinence

Ovarian cystectomy

Ovariotomy

17-OH

Partial Hydatidiform Mole (PHM)

PCB

PFR

PID

PMB

PMS

Polycystic ovary

Presence of more than 10 follicles of 2-10mm in each ovary distributed peripherally with echogenic stroma on ultrasound scan.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

It is characterised by amenorrhoea/oligomenorrhoea, hirsutism, infertility, obesity and polycystic ovaries and is associated with insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperandrogenaemia.

(In women of reproductive age, the incidence of polycystic ovaries on ultrasound scan is about 20%, the incidence of polycystic ovarian syndrome is about 5-7%. The presence of polycystic ovaries on ultrasound scan does not necessarily mean the presence of polycystic ovarian syndrome.)

Polymenorrhoea (Epimenorrhoea)

Polyzoospermia

POF

Posterior colpo-perineorrhaphy

Post-pill amenorrhoea

Pseudohermaphroditism – Female

Pseudohermaphroditism – Male

Precocious puberty

Thelarche (breast development) before the 8th year or menarche before the 10th year